Sunday, December 21, 2014

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy comes from natural resources which are replenished in the form of, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. Renewable energy is replenished constantly through natural processes. The sun provides the most basic form of renewable energy in the form of heat and light. Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Heat can be generated deep within the earth, called geothermal heat and is also generated from the sun. The wind, the ocean, dam outflow (hydropower), biomass, geothermal resources, biofuels and hydrogen are other examples of enewable resources. The earliest use of renewable energy was the burning of timber for heating and cooking. The second oldest usage of renewable energy was the harnessing of the wind to sail ships. These practices can be traced back to early civilisation. Renewable energy is also considered to be clean energy, as it does not generate Carbon Dioxide (CO2) one of the major greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming